Lighter



R. A. GULICK Oct. 8, 1935.

LIGHTER Filed July 2l, 1935 Patented oct. s, 1935 UNITED STATES LIGHTER Russell A. Gulick, Winthrop, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Archie M. Andrews,

New York, N. Y.

Application July 21, 1933, Serial No. 681,439

9 Claims.

Ihis invention relates tov a lighterof the type particularly employed for igniting cigarettes, and especially a lighter employing a catalytic agent effective to initiate combination of atmospheric oxygen with vapor from a contained liquid by concomitant adsorption of both substances, generating heat and thus effecting ignition of the cigarette or the like. Heretofore lighters employing catalytic agents have been provided to use substances such as platinum black or sponge platinum which may receive and interact with vapor from alcohol or other volatile fluid retained by a Wick, by adsorption, when air containing the vapor is drawn through it and thus afford ignition. When the tip of a cigarette is applied to such a catalytic element and the person holding the cigarette draws" thereupon, the cigarette is lighted.

Devices of this character as heretofore provided, while structurally simple and free from moving mechanical parts, have been somewhat undependable under certain conditions of practical use. If a lighter of this type were left unused for a considerable period of time as, for example, over night, the catalytic agent often became incapable of igniting the cigarette. Apparently this effect was due to the saturation of the catalytic agent with alcohol so that when the normal lighting operation was effected, atmospheric oxygen failed to reach and penetrate the catalyzer in suflicient quantity to generate the necessary heat. The saturation of the catalytic element seemed to result from the free internal access of alcohol vapor to the catalyst, allowing a continuous ilow of vapor to saturate the latter, rendering it non-adsorptive toward oxygen.

Furthermore, a lighter of this general character might, under conditions of repeated use at frequent intervals, become inoperative apparently for a reason opposite to the above, namely, the drawing of too little alcohol vapor for maintaining high enough temperature for ignition in connection with the excess air.

It is a primary object of this invention to avoid these deficiencies in lighters employing catalytic agents. In accordance with this invention, a relatively ample air passage is provided to permit the flow of air along a considerable surface portion of the wick, thus to permit the flow of vapor and oxygen to the catalytic element in suitable proportions when the user is drawing on the cigarette. In order to prevent access of vapor when the ligher is not being used, however, I afford a closure which normally prevents air flow between the wick or liquid holding element and the catalytic element except when the lighter ls in use. To permit these desirable results, this invention aiords an arrangement of air passages which are uncovered only when the lighter is being used, i. e., when the cover is removed from the main casing, and a movable'closure which normally shuts off communication between the wick and catalytic element but which is opened by a spring as the cover is removed, thus allowing the flow of an adequate volume of air and amount of vapor to the catalytic element to permit ignition. Furthermore, the outer cover is arranged so that in its normal position it fits the main casing tightly to exclude the outside air and prevent the same from entering either the catalyst chamber or the wick chamber, thus avoiding the condensation of water vapor in the presence of' the alcohol or the like, and avoiding any possibility of the occurrence of suicient moisture to prevent effective operation of the lighter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a 'central vertical section through an improved lighter embodying the principles of this invention, the parts being shown in their normal positions when the lighter is not in use;

Fig. 2 is a similarview butwith the cover removed, showing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the cover is removed and the lighteris in the condition to produce incandescence; and

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

In the accompanying drawing, the numeral I indicates the cylindrical main casing of the lighter, which is provided with an oiiset upper flange 2 which frictionally receives a cup-like cap 35 or cover 3; the lower edge of this cover, normally iits against a shoulder afforded by the offset portion of the casing I to afford a substantially airtight seal. In the lower part of casing I are a plurality of arcuate spacers 4 which may be secured to the inner surface of the casing I by welding or the like and which are separated from each other by vertical air passages or ducts 5.

Received in snug irictional engagement with the inner surfaces of spacers 4 is a metal shell 45 or wick holder I D of generally cylindrical form, having an open lower end and having an upper end which is provided with a closed top I I (Fig. 2) of reduced diameter which is connected to the body portion of the member III by a substantially frusto-conical wall portion I2. The holder I0 has its upper portion adjoining the frusta-conical portion I2 expanded or of slightly greater diameter than its major portion extending to lts lower 55 end, thus affording an annular shoulder I4 adjoining t-he offset portion 2 of main casing I.

Disposed in sliding engagement with this enlarged portion of the holder I is an inner cap element I6 which has an inturned lower flange II engageable with the shoulder I4 as a stop. A coil spring I8 is disposed between the upper faces of spacers 4 and the inturned flange I1 of cap element I6, thus normally tending to urge the cap element upwardly so that it may engage the upper part of the cover 3 when the lighter is in its normal inoperative position. When the cover 3 is removed, the spring I8 is effective in causing the cap I6 to slide upwardly on the enlarged portion of holder I Il until the flange II engages the shoulder I4 as a stop. Secured within the upper part of cap I6 is a cupped support I9 having a peripheral flange held against the upper part of the cap element I6 by a split wire ring 2I and having a cupped intermediate portion 22 provided with a central opening 23. The upper wall of the cupped element is provided with a central opening 24 having a downturned annular flange which normally rests in engagement with the upper surface of the catalytic element 26, the latter being supported in the cupped portion 22 of element I9. The member 26 may be formed of suitable catalytic material, such as platinum black or sponge platinum, and preferably is provided with a central perforation or air passage 21. Air openings or ports 29 are provided in the frusto conical portion of the holder I0.

The wick 30 may be formed of any suitable porous material such as felt and may have a central vertical air passage 3I communicating with a diametrically disposed passage 32, the ends of which adjoin the ports 29. The lower part of the wick 30 and holder III are spaced above the bottom of casing member I. Accordingly when the cover is removed and the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 2, air may flow inwardly between the flange I'I of cap element I6 and the portion 2 of casing I, flowing downwardly about spring I8 and through the passages 5 between spacer elements 4 to a small chamber or space 33 below the wick 30. Thence the air may flow upwardly through the pores of the wick and through the central opening 3|, then through its diametrically disposed passage 32 and the ports 29, thence through the opening 23 in the support I9 and thus to the catalytic element 26, the surface of which is exposed through the central opening 24 of the cap I6.

When the cover is applied to the lighter in the normal manner. it is effective in pushing the cap element I6 downwardly so that the spring I8 is compressed. the lower edge of the cover engaging the shoulder provided by casing I to shut off thc flow of air into the lighter. At the same time the cupped portion of member I9 seats upon the top II of holder I0, thus precluding the flow of air from ports 29 to the catalytic element 26. Thus circulation of air between the wick and the catalytic agent is prevented when the cover 3 is in place.

When a lighter of this character is to be conditioned for use. the wick holder I0 with the wick 3D may be moved out of engagement with the remainder of the assembly and the Wick may be dipped into suitable volatile liquid such as methyl alcohol. the saturated wick and the holder then being returned to their normal positions, i. e. the lower part of the holder being slid downwardly in frictional engagement with the inner surfaces of spacers 4. Obviously when desired the wick 30 may be removed from the holder iti and a new wick substituted.

When the lighter is to be used, the cover E is removed, the cap I6 moves upwardly so that the cup element 22 is separated from the top II of holder I0 to permit air flow, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, from the wick to the catalytic element 26. It is evident that the air flowing inwardly adjoining the flange I1 of the cap element I6 and passing downwardly through spaces is received by the lower part of duct 3I and has an opportunity to flow into and past the -pores of the wick, thus picking up an adequate supply of vapor and passing outwardly through ports 29 and then rising to the catalytic element 26. In the meantime a cigarette is applied to the exposed surface of the catalytic agent within opening 24, the user of the lighter then draws upon the cigarette, so that the temperature oi' the catalytic agent rises until incandescence occurs and the cigarette is lighted. Thereupon the cover may be replaced, the parts then occupying the position shown in Fig. l, and the flow of air to the element 26 being prevented, so'that saturation of this element by alcohol vapor does not occur due to internal circulation within the lighter.

It is evident that this invention provides an arrangement of air passages and closure members particularly arranged to assure the effective oper ation of a lighter employing a catalytic element. The air passages are arranged so that, during use of the lighter, the air flows along a considerable exposed surface of the wick, whereby an adequate amount of alcohol vapor or the like is picked up by the air flowing to the catalytic element, while the internal circulation of vapor between the wick and catalytic agent is prevented when the lighter is not in use, so that wetting or saturation of the catalytic agent is avoided. o

I claim:

1. A lighter comprising a casing, a cover movable into and out of engagement with the casing, a wick holder disposed within the casing,

a wick within the wick holder. a cap element 4 slidably mounted upon the upper part of the wick holder, a spring within the casing urging the cap element upwardly against the cover when the latter is in engagement with the casing, the support for the catalytic element engaging the top of the wick holder to prevent flow from the wick to the catalytic element when the cover is in its closed position, the spring being effective in lifting the cap element and support away from the wick holder to permit air flow from the wick to the catalytic element when the cover is disengaged from the casing.

2. A lighter comprising a casing. a wick holding shell disposed within the casing, a. wick within the shell. a spring within the casing. a cap element slidably engaging the upper part of the shell and urged upwardly by Ithe spring. the upper part of said cap element affording a support, a catalytic element mounted on the support, said part of the cap element being engageable with the cover when the latter is in normal engagement with the casing, the cap element and shell being shaped to engage each other and prevent air flow from the wick to the catalytic element when the cover is in normal engagement with the casing, the spring being effective in moving the cap element away from the shell to permit air ow from the wick to the catalytic element when the cover is removed from the casing.

3. A lighter comprising a casing, a wick posed within said casing, a member mounted catalytic element.

4. A lighter comprising a casing, a wick disposed within said casing, a member mounted on said casing above said wick, a support slidably mounted within said casing, a catalytic element mounted' on said support, a ,spring within said casing urging said support upwardly, means for permitting passage of air to said wick, and means to engage said member to sage, a sleeve slidably mounted carrying vapor from said element and to close the support into said casing. i' 8. A lighter comprising a casing, a shell disposed within said casing having a transversely prevent ow o! air wick to said catalytic air passage.

5. A lighter comprising a casing, a cover movable into and out of engagement with said casand close the aperture operate with said casing to cover the air passage. 9. A lighter comprising a casing, a shell having a Itransversely extending portion at the upper end thereof and an open lower end disposed 35 within said casing, spacing members located between sald casing and said shell to provide air passages therebetween communicating with the interior of said shell near the bottom of said casing, a Wick located in said shell adapted to hold a quantity of volatile liquid, said shell having a passage extending therethrough in communication with a surface of said wick and apertures in the upper end thereof beyond said transversely extending portion, a sleeve slidably 45 mounted within said casing, an apertured cup mounted on said sleeve, a catalytic element mounted in said cup. a spring between said shell and said casing urging said sleeve upwardly,

telescoped into said casing, means normally to urge said support upwardly to allow communication between said chamber and said catalytic eiement, means for permitting passage of air to said wick. and means to telescope said support into said casing.

7. A lighter comprising a casing, a wick disposed in said casing, a sleeve slidably mounted within said casing, an apertured cup mounted on said sleeve spaced from said wick to form a RUSSELL A. GULICK. 

